


the time skinner was ordered out of his own office

by intrepidment



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Implied Relationships, POV Third Person, Season/Series 07
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:34:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25802953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intrepidment/pseuds/intrepidment
Summary: Walter Skinner is less Assistant Director and more Exasperated-Father-of-the-FBI when it comes to Agents Mulder and Scully.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Kudos: 59





	the time skinner was ordered out of his own office

There were certain expectations Skinner had when it came to conducting general overview meetings with his two agents from the X-Files. 

The first, was that where Dana Scully was punctual, Fox Mulder most certainly was not. Unless the former was there to forcibly drag her partner to the meeting, Mulder was always late _._ By the time he did arrive, it seemed like all the energy was zapped from his soul, and only an empty husk was present for the next hour. More than once, Skinner had caught him staring off into the distance, only half-listening. Scully was the one who usually asked the questions, kept notes, and generally paid attention when she should. 

Which was what made what was currently happening all the more surprising. 

Throughout today’s meeting, Scully was quiet and Mulder was the one handling the conversation instead. As Skinner discussed their target deadlines for the week, he noticed Scully’s eyes droop slightly, but he let it slide because he assumed she was just tired. 

However, there was nothing he could do but come to a complete halt and stare when Scully’s head suddenly lolled sideways, and fell against her partner’s shoulder. Mulder startled in his seat, but otherwise did not seem all that surprised.

There was no denying it: Agent Scully was asleep. She hadn’t even tried to disguise it.

He bristled. “Agent Scully—”

“Shh!”

Skinner froze. Mulder, whose arm was around Scully to keep her upright and prevent her from toppling over, froze as well.

“Did you just shush me, Agent Mulder?” he sputtered. 

“I’m sorry, Sir,” Mulder said, his voice pitched low to almost a whisper. To be fair, he sounded genuinely panicked. “It’s just–the last case we were on was a tough one, and Scully hasn’t been able to sleep—”

“How do you know her sleeping habits, Agent Mulder?” Skinner asked suspiciously.

Mulder spoke right over him as if he hadn’t heard a single word of what he’d just said. “—so I was thinking that since she’s asleep and it’s already nearing lunchtime, maybe we could take a break now and reconvene in, say, an hour?”

“And what, you’ll carry Agent Scully to the basement in the meantime so she can have a nap?”

For a moment, Mulder seemed to seriously consider the suggestion. But then he winced in what Skinner imagined to be the thought of Scully’s reaction if he tried to do exactly that. “Actually, I wondered if—well, you don’t eat lunch in the office, do you, Sir? Because if you don’t then—”

“You want me to leave my own office,” Skinner said flatly. It was not a question.

A pause.

Mulder nodded, looking rather meek. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

Neither of them moved.

Skinner raised an eyebrow. “And am I to assume that you want to stay here with Agent Scully as well?”

“I don’t think it would be wise for me to leave right now,” Mulder said. As if to punctuate the fact, Scully let out a muffled snore and buried her face closer to his neck. 

It didn’t seem like she would disentangle herself from him anytime soon. 

Skinner sighed and grabbed his coat as he headed for the door without another word. He didn’t bother to look back. _Kids,_ he thought, _he was dealing with goddamn kids here_.

This was the FBI for Christs’ sake. 

He’d never hated his job more.


End file.
